FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- Metro-North Railroad suspended several train engineers for repeated safety violations in the 18 months leading up to the fatal derailment in December in the Bronx, N.Y., an investigation by ABC New York found.

Documents obtained by ABC New York via the Freedom of Information Act showed Metro-North suspended 10 engineers for up to 61 days for serious safety violations such as running through red stop signals, the report said.

Ignoring red stop signals is a collision or other disaster waiting to happen, train experts told ABC New York.

The fatal derailment isn't the only problem Metro-North has endured over the last year. Another derailment in Connecticut injured dozens, and a power outage left the New Haven Line crippled for days are among the many problems for the beleaguered commuter rail.

It has also had to contend with multiple incidents of heavy delays and service cutbacks due to severe weather as well as human and mechanical errors.

Comments (4)

Wasn't there a video posted on YouTube last year of a metro north engineer doing a sudoku or a crossword puzzle and not even looking at the track while the train was highballing on the new haven line? A passenger recorded the incident, and the following day many engineers taped paper over the windows of their compartments so nobody could see what they were doing. I wonder if the engineer involved in that incident ever got reprimanded.

Metro North needs to adopt a zero tolerance policy. You run red lights, ignore speed limits and put peoples lives in danger -you're gone. Period!. After these cowboys are dismissed then begin a top to bottom review of the training process, which is definitely lacking.